China defends border law after Indian criticism

BEIJING — China connected Thursday defended a caller borderline instrumentality pursuing disapproval by India that it mightiness disrupt the solution of a 17-month-old standoff implicit disputed territory successful the distant Ladakh portion that has led to convulsive clashes.

The instrumentality approved Sunday says Beijing volition “combat immoderate enactment that undermines territorial sovereignty and onshore boundaries.” That prompted an entreaty by India’s overseas ministry Wednesday not to usage it to alteration conditions successful borderline areas.

The instrumentality is successful enactment with planetary practice, said China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin.

It won’t “change China’s positions and propositions connected applicable border-related issues,” Wang said astatine a regular quality briefing.

Without mentioning India by name, Wang expressed anticipation the “relevant state volition abide by the basal norms governing planetary relations and not marque speculations astir China’s mean legislation.”

The 2 governments person stationed tens of thousands of soldiers with artillery, tanks and combatant jets on their frontier successful Ladakh.

The Line of Actual Control separates Chinese and Indian-held territories from Ladakh successful the westbound to India’s eastbound authorities of Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims. India and China fought a 1962 warfare implicit the border.

Talks betwixt Indian and Chinese service commanders to disengage troops from cardinal areas on their borderline ended without statement this month.

Last year, 20 Indian troops were killed successful a combat with Chinese soldiers involving clubs, stones and fists. China said it mislaid 4 soldiers.